In this talk we will discuss opportunities, challenges, benefits, and tricks about building sound projects in Teensy Arduino micro-controllers. Specifically, we will demonstrate how to assemble hardware, use Arduino software, choose casings, etc. We will also show a functional prototype based on these ideas. Note that although there are several sources on Internet where to learn how to program Arduino, few of them explain how to select, and assemble the hardware for such projects. If you have interest on sound projects, or Arduino programming in general, please join us.

Profile

Rob Oudendijk of YR-Design is a Dutch engineer/dancer with a vast experience on building software and hardware solutions for the Netherland Embassy in Japan, Luxemburg Embassy in Japan, and several companies in the US, Europe, and Japan. He is currently involved in the development of the next-generation Geiger counters at Safecast.

The Support Association for International Students of the University of Aizu (SAISUA) is happy to announce the availability of scholarships for the 1st semester of the academic year 2015. We welcome you to apply by January 16th, 2015.

A) Eligibility
1. An international full-time regular undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Aizu
2. Not currently receiving a scholarship of more than 50,000 yen per month
3. Demonstrated high academic achievement

B) Scholarship Support
1. Amount: 20,000 yen per month for six months

C) Application procedure (How to apply)
1. Online application form: http://saisua.u-aizu.ac.jp/wordpress/
2. Upload the required supporting documents at the SAISUA homepage (the link above). These include latest transcript (REQUIRED, either issued by UoA or other institutions) and a document explaining your reasons for applying. If your transcript is in a language other than English, attach the translation (Your own translation is OK). It may help your case to provide other supporting documents such as your CV. These should be sent directly to Prof. Rockell (RQ 266).
3. Sealed letter of recommendation from your supervisor with hanko and/or signature. Please ask your supervisor to send the letter directly to Prof. Rockell.

D) Requirements for scholarship winners
Each winner of a SAISUA scholarship is expected to participate in at least two international university or community events during the year of the scholarship. Such activities might include:

– Giving an international talk about your country
– Making a local school visit to talk about your country to schoolchildren
– Giving a campus tour to visitors
– Working at an international booth or activity during the Campus Festival
– Attending the bi-annual University Welcome Party to greet new international students
– Other activities suggested by CSIP (Center for Strategy of International Programs) office

Julián Villegas—ジュリアン ヴィジェガス: 会津大学教授。専門はコンピュータ芸術学。大学ではCG、空間音響、音響と音楽、コンピュータミュージックを担当。関心のある研究は、音声理解、音楽や音の学際的研究、心理音響、 実験的心理、リアルタイムプログラミング、視覚と聴覚における錯覚、バイノーラル音を含む。彼はValle University (コロンビア)で電気工学を専攻し学士を、会津大学でコンピュータサイエンスを専攻し、修士と博士を取得。The University of Basque Country (スペイン)でポストドクターを経て現在に至る。論文6編をジャーナルへ投稿、本で2章を執筆、40回を超えるカンファレンスへの投稿実績があり、その他、査読なし論文や、音楽制作、ソフトウェア開発などにおいても精力的に活動している。

The Virtual Reality Journal, Springer Verlag Press, is announcing a call for papers to appear in a special edition that will focus on the use of spatialized sound in virtual and augmented reality environments. The journal seeks original, high-quality papers in the design and use of spatialized sound in virtual reality, including augmented reality and mixed reality. Each paper should be classifiable as mainly covering research, applications, or systems, using the following guidelines for each:

Research papers should describe results that contribute to advances in state-of-the-art software, hardware, algorithms, interaction, or human-factors.

Application papers should explain how the authors built upon existing ideas and applied them to solve an interesting problem in a novel way. Each paper should include an evaluation of the success of the use of VR/AR/MR in the given application domain.

System papers should indicate how the implementers integrated known techniques and technologies to produce an effective system, along with any lessons learned in the process. Each paper should include an evaluation of the system, including benchmarking that was performed.

Topics

Spatialized audio interfaces

Perception and cognition (specifically in the context of spatialized sound in VR and AR)

Navigation and way-finding

Applications of spatialized sound for VR/AR/MR

Presence

Submission and Review Process

All papers should be submitted through the website www.editorialmanager.com/vire/ using the category of ‘Spatial Sound in Virtual and Augmented Reality.’

His research focuses on music genre classification of musical signals based on the chord progressions. To extract the chord-based features from the musical signals, chroma vector named pitch class profile (PCP) is used. Instead of using chord labeling from the PCP to perform the classification, PCPs are directly used alone with chord progression templates. Chord progressions templates are vectors which have the same structure of PCPs and they represent the musical knowledge of the common and representative chord patterns of different music genres. He will experiment with more data and enhance the chord classification method.

At the end of meeting, we reportd on progress of our graduation (or master) thesis.

Next week meeting can not hold because UoA will have preparing for the National Center for University Entrance Examination. So, our next meeting is held on January 16 instead of ordinary meeting with a guest lecture.
Details of this lecture :

Place : S8

Date : January 16, 2014

Time : 13:10 – 14:40

Prof. Julián gives us some advices for writing thesis.
Rules for proof-reading

Use of latex is strongly recommend

Use American spelling

Run the spell-checker! (SERIOUSLY!!)

Read what you have written before sending it

If you want comments, send a PDF title formatted as single column, double space

Integrate previous comments in the current draft

Finally, Sanuki-kun who is a member of spatial media group, won the encouragement technology of made in Aizu-Wakamatsu prize!
He made a iOS application that is a navigation system with spatial sound.
He went to professor’s office to get some advices for application and presentation. This is a best example to improve research, thesis, presentation, and so on.

Abstract:
In order to provide consumers more enhanced and immersive experience in sound, most of the new multi-channel reproduction formats highlight the significance of height-related information. In this talk, we investigated the influence of height-related room impulse responses when reproduced via various “height-loudspeakers,” including a virtual loudspeaker. Test participants listened to the corresponding sound fields and rated their perceived quality in terms of spaciousness and integrity. The results showed that perceived quality was affected by height loudspeaker positions but not by height signals, which was convolved with specific room impulse responses.

Biography:
Sungyoung Kim received a B.S. degree from Sogang University, Korea, in 1996, and a Master of Music and Ph.D. degree from McGill University, Canada, in 2006 and 2009 respectively. His professional work experiences include recording/balance engineer at Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), Seoul, Korea (1995–2001) and research associate at Yamaha Corporation (2007–2012), Hamamatsu, Japan. He is now an assistant professor at Electrical, Computer, and Telecommunication Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology. His research interests are spatial audio and human perception, and efficient ear training methods. He is a member of the IEEE and Audio Engineering Society (AES).